PACER CENTER
ACTION
INFORMATION SHEETS
Off to College: Tips for Students
with Visual Impairments
By Laura Magnuson
College is full of new experiences. You will meet new people,
learn new things, and perhaps be away from home for the
first time. As a person who has a visual impairment, you may
be wondering how you’re going to do it all. How will you
pick a good school? How will you find all your books and do
all your homework? How are you going to find your way to
class? Will you be able to make friends with other students?
This handout will answer these and other questions.
First Steps
The first step in transitioning to college is finding the best
school for you. Don’t worry; you don’t have to do it alone.
Your parents, school counselors, and teacher for the visually
impaired will all help you choose a school that meets your
needs and goals and best fits with what you want to learn in
college.
If you and your parents are able to take a college’s campus
tour, you can begin to develop a good feel for the school’s
atmosphere. You also can stop by the office for students
with disabilities, which will be an important resource for
you in college. This office provides supports to students
with disabilities so they will have the same opportunities
to complete their education as students without disabilities.
Talking with department staff and finding out what kinds of
services they provide can help you decide about attending
that school. (The name of this office is different for every
college, but the title is similar enough that you should be
able to find it.)
After Acceptance
Many schools invite new students to an orientation
meeting before the school year begins. If you go, you’ll
receive another tour of the campus and may also have an
opportunity to register for the courses you’ll take in the fall.
Taking this opportunity is a good idea because it may allow
you to obtain in advance materials you’ll need for class.
As soon as you know which courses you’ll be taking, set up
a meeting with the department of disability services, even
if you don’t know exactly what kind of help you’ll need.
It’s much easier to obtain its services before school starts
than in the middle of the term. (Tip: You’ll need medical
proof of your visual impairment from your regular doctor
or an ophthalmologist before you can register for disability
services.)
Accommodations
If you decide you need disability services, a specialist from the
department will help you determine what accommodations
you will need for your classes. Accommodations may
include such things as an aide for science labs or a note
taker for visual classes such as geography or math. Your
specialist will write a letter to your professors, requesting the
accommodations you need. This important letter provides
documented proof that you have a disability and that the
school is obligated to help you.
In some cases, the specialist will deliver the letters for you,
but at some universities, the trend has been for students to
deliver the letters themselves. Doing so can be a challenge
for students who are uncomfortable speaking with new
people, but this early contact with your professors gives you
three benefits.
First, it allows you to meet with your professors outside of the
class setting where they won’t be as busy and will be able to
listen more attentively to you. Second, it gives you a chance
to know the professor and be specific about accommodations
you will need. Finally, it helps you further develop selfadvocacy skills you will need in college and in life.
You may find that some, or perhaps all, of your professors
are unavailable before the term starts. If that’s the case, don’t
worry. Professors usually have office hours once the term
begins, and you can meet during this time. You also can
speak with the professor the first day before or after class.
Be sure though, that if your office of disability specialist has
charged you with delivering the letter of accommodation,
that you deliver it to the professor, or to his or her office, no
later than the first week of class.
Materials for Class
Once you have been accepted to a school, spoken with the
department of disability services, and delivered any necessary
letters of accommodation to your professors, the next step is
to collect your syllabi and books for all your courses.
Ideally, you want to obtain these materials ahead of time
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and give copies to the department of disability services so
the staff has time to convert them into an accessible format.
Sometimes, however, professors may not decide on the
books for their courses until shortly before classes begin
and may not hand out the syllabus until the first day of class.
or someone he or she recommends to meet with you on
campus before classes start to familiarize you with the
locations of your classroom buildings.
If such onsite training is unavailable, all of the skills you
have learned from your instructor are going to be invaluable
once you are on campus. Once you arrive, ask your parents
to help you find the locations of your classroom buildings.
It is best to familiarize yourself with these routes as soon as
possible so you are not lost on your first day of class.
If you find yourself in a situation like this, don’t panic. Here
are some steps you can take.
First, e-mail your professors, explain that you have a visual
impairment, and request that they e-mail their syllabi to
you so you have time to have it converted to an accessible
format. You can find their contact information in a faculty
directory either on the college Web site or by calling the
departments in which they are located. If you don’t have
access to the Internet or a computer, call the professors and
ask them to mail a syllabus to you. If you are still unable to
obtain a syllabus before class starts, you will have to wait
until the first day and receive one along with the rest of the
students. Although not ideal, the situation gives you an
opportunity to learn from new challenges.
As prepared as you are, you still may end up lost, especially if
the campus is large. The most important thing to remember
in this situation is to not panic. If you allow yourself to
panic, you may become increasingly disoriented and unable
to find help. Remember that many new students become
lost during their first week or so at school. If it happens to
you, the easiest thing to do is to ask someone immediately
to either take you to where you need to go or give you
directions. You may also want to carry a cell phone in case
you need to call a friend, a cab, or campus security.
One other good rule to follow is to remember landmarks.
Depending on your visual impairment, you may be able to
see distinctive buildings or sculptures that you could use to
orient yourself. If you cannot see at all, you might be able to
use auditory landmarks such as a fountain or the bells from
a clock tower. However you use landmarks, they can be a
valuable tool in navigating the campus.
Books and Other Materials
Depending on your level of vision loss, you may need to
have your books converted into electronic format or Braille.
Once you have your list of required books, go to the college
bookstore, purchase or rent your books, then bring them
to the department of disability services as soon as possible.
If any of your books aren’t available before class begins, don’t
worry. Your fellow students may be in the same situation,
and most professors are understanding if students don’t
have all of the materials the first day or so.
Socializing
College isn’t just about studying and making good grades.
It’s also about meeting interesting people and socializing.
Incoming students are encouraged to attend many events,
especially during the first week of classes. Individual
dormitories may also set up events such as pizza parties or
movie nights. You will also meet people in your classes, and
if you form friendships with these students, you can socialize
outside of class. Colleges, especially large universities,
usually have many nearby restaurants and coffee shops
where you and your friends can meet. It’s important to
become familiar with these locations so you can travel to
them independently to meet your friends.
If materials aren’t available before class begins, it’s a good idea
to explain the situation and assure your professor that you
will obtain the material as soon as you can. Although it may
take a couple of weeks for your materials to be converted into
accessible format, you can always use a reader provided by the
disability services department to keep you current in class.
On Campus
Once you arrive on campus, you will probably feel the same
way most, if not all, of your fellow freshmen do: intimidated.
Like many students, you may be away from home for the
first time, and things can seem frightening when they are
unfamiliar. Your parents and others can help make your
adjustment to campus easier.
You may be afraid at first, thinking no one will talk to you
because of your visual impairment, but don’t assume that
will be the case. You are surrounded by many people you
don’t know and who don’t know you. They may be more
interested in what you are studying or where you’re from
than your visual impairment. If you act like yourself and
let your fellow students see who you really are, you should
soon make new friends.
When you were in high school, a mobility instructor
may have taught you how to travel independently. This
instructor probably taught you how to ask for directions,
cross streets, pay attention to traffic, plan routes, and use
public transportation. You may want to ask this instructor
Conclusion
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Going to college can be a challenge for anyone, and it can be
especially so if you are visually impaired. If you follow the
advice in this handout, college may not seem like such an
intimidating thing after all. Remember that you have many
people around you who are willing to help, and you should
feel comfortable asking for that help. College can teach you
many things, not the least of which are skills in advocating
for yourself as a person with a disability. Remember, too, to
have fun and enjoy yourself. College can be one of the best
times of your life.
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